Mogao Cave 285: Donors

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Western Wei dynasty

This detail is painted below the mural of Kasyapa Buddha Teaching the Dharma, which is located on the second panel in the middle section of the north wall. According to the inscription in the center of the scene, the mural of Kasyapa Buddha and two Bodhisattvas was sponsored by monk Bianhua and dedicated to his parents and seven generations of parents before them, in the hope that his deceased ancestors would arrive in the Pure Land and that his living family would be at peace. The inscription dates the mural to 538 of the Western Wei dynasty.
To the right of the inscription are images of seven male donors. The first is the monk, wearing a robe and holding an incense burner, followed by the devotees Yin Angui, Yin Gousheng, and others from the Yin family. The male donors wear felt caps, buttoned kurtas, white pants, and black boots, all typical Central Asian dress for the period. To the left of the inscription are six female donors from the Yin family. The female donors wear garments with large sleeves and stand with their hands clasped before them. The ceremony of offering is reflected in the illustration and inscription. The inscription also states that funding for the construction of the cave came from Xianbei nomads, a valuable piece of information for historical research of the nomads of the Hexi region.